Iya ngokudabuka ingubo yethu yokhetho
Isinqumo sinomthelela okhethweni nasenhlanganweni ebhekelele ukhetho eNingizimu Afrika
Kwake kwakhona umcabango wokuthi konke kuhamba kahle ngenqubo yakuleli yokhetho. Abanye babaze balikhiphe elokuthi lo mthetho wokhetho we-1998 njengoMthethosisekelo wezwe ungcono kunayo yonke emhlabeni. Lokho kukhuluma kubukeka sekuzoshabalala kanjalo nesimo sezombusazwe sizoguquka unomphelo eNingizimu Afrika. Lokhu kulandela isinqumo seNkantolo YoMthethosesekelo sangoLwesine nayilapho isinqumo sithe ezinye izingxenye zoMthetho Wezokhetho azihambisani noMthethosisekelo wezwe.
Kuleli cala ebelibhaliswe ngokuthi yiCala uNombolo CCT 110/19 abamangalelwa bekunguMengameli waseNingizimu Afrika, uNgqongqoshe Wezasekhaya, abeKhomishini Yokhetho, uSomlomo wePhalamende, noMkhandlu Wezifundazwe. Bebekhona nabangani benkantolo (Amicus Curiae) obekuyiCouncil for the Advancement of the Constitution kanye ne-Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse. Abehluleli abebehlalele lolu daba nguMehluleli uCameron, uFroneman, uJafta , uKhampepe, uMadlanga, uMathopo, uMhlantla, uTheron kanye noVictor.
Kanti ngakolunye uhlangothi abamangali bekuyiNew Nation Movement NPC, uChantal Dawn Revell, abeGRO kanye nabe-Indigenous First Nation Advocay SA PBO. Lesi sinqumo sivune abamangali abebeholwa yinhlangano engenzi nzuzo iNew Nation Movement nesungulwe ngowezi-2017. Le nhlangano iya eNkatolo YoMthethosisekelo nje yaqala yachithwa yiNkantolo Enkulu yaseWestern Cape ngowe-2019, kusele izinsuku nje elakuleli libe nokhetho lukazwelonke.
Luqala lolu daba ezinkantolo abamangali bakhala ngokuthi amalungelo abo anqindiwe njengoba uMthetho Wokhetho wabe ungavumi ukuba bangenele ukhetho kuzwelonke nasezifundazweni ngabodwana, bengakhaphi amaqembu. Abamangali balwa bethi kabakwazi ukuphoqwa ukuba babe yiqembu noma bamelwe ngamaqembu. Kulokhu uMehluleli uMadlanga obefunda isinqumo uthe: “Ilungelo lokuzikhethela ohambisana nakho yilungelo lenkululeko yokuzikhethela. Ukukhetha ukuxebuka lapho kade ukhona nakho kuyilungelo lokuzikhethela. Ukukhetha ukuba ungazihlanganisi nalutho nakho kuyilungelo lokuzikhethela. Ukunqatshelwa ukuba wenze okunye kwalokhu kuphambana nelungelo lokuzikhethela.”
Ngenxa yalezi zizathu nezinye iNkantolo inqume ukuthi “UMthetho Wokhetho uNombolo 73 we-1998 awuhambisani noMthethosisekelo okwenza kudinge ukuthi izakhamuzi zingakhethelwa ukuya ePhalamende naseZishayamthetho zezifundazwe kuphela ngobulungu beqembu lezepolitiki.”
Lokhu wukuphela kodaba ngoba kayikho enye inkantolo eyoke iluphathe lolu daba. Yikho nabe-IEC ngomlomo kaMnu uGlen Mashinini behlele ngezansi basho khona ukuthi bazosibuka isinqumo lesi bese benza ngakhona.
Umthelela walokhu
Yize abe-IEC kungebona abasephutheni njengoba konke kuqala kubashayimthetho kepha isinqumo sizoba nomthelela ekusebenzeni kweIEC neminyango kanjalo nePhalamende. Okuseqhulwini nje wukuthi lo Mthetho ngeke ufundwe ungalunjaniswa naloyo obukhulunywa wokuxhaswa kwamaqembu. Ukukhuluma kuloyo Mthetho kuyomele kuguquke kukhulume ngokuxhaswa kwabangenele ukhetho. Lokhu kusho ukuthi umgcinimafa kuyomele akhothuluze ukuze nabazimele bacoshe uxhaso.
Kwenzeka konke lokhu kukhona ukuwumuzela ngokusebenza kweIEC abanye abaze bathi ayizimele. Kanti osekwejwayelekile muva nje wukuthi ihudulelwe ezinkantolo kanye namaphutha ekusebenzeni.
Elinye iphutha elingagqamanga kwabezindaba kwaba wudaba oluthinta isihlalo se-African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) ngokhetho lowezi-2004. Lapha i-ACDP yasola abe-IEC ngokwenza iphutha ekwabeni izihlalo nayilapho yagixabeza isihlalo sayo i-Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo). Njengoba leli phutha latholakala emuva kokuqinisekiswa kwemiphumela i-ACDP yedlulisela udaba eNkantolo Yokhetho neyavuna i-ACDP.
Olunye olwaba sematheni kwaba ngolokhetho lokhuchibiyela olwenzeka ngaphansi kukaMasipala iTlokwe esifundeni iNorth West. Ecaleni elibhaliswe ngokuthi yiKham and other v Electoral Commission and another, ababengenele ukhetho ngokuzimela, lapho izisebenzi ze-IEC zathela le nhlangano ngehlazo ngenxa yobudedengu. Kulolu daba ababengenele ukhetho njengabantu abazimele bayisa i-IEC eNkantolo beyisola ngokuthi ivume ukuba kube nabantu abavota esigcemeni kepha bengabhalisile noma bengebona abendawo. Okumangazayo lapha wukuthi ngisho iNkantolo ingakanqumi, uphenyo lwayo i-IEC yakuveza ukuthi abantu abangaphezu kwe-1 000 babebhalise ezigcemeni abangahlali kuzo, kwathi abangama-300 behluleka ukuveza ubufakazi bokuthi bahlala lapho babe bhalisele khona. Kanti yona iNkantolo yathola okushaqisayo ukuthi phakathi konyaka wezi-2000 kuya kowezi-2004 kubavoti abasha abayizi-3 832 abayi-1 040 babebhalise ezindaweni okungezona kwathi iminingwane yabangama-332 yangacacisa ukuthi ngabakuphi.
Esinqumweni sakhe uMehluleli washo okwacacela noma ngubani ukuthi usola amabomu lapha: “Okukhathazayo ngalokhu ukuthi akukho ncazelo yokuthi kwenzeka kanjani ukubhaliswa okungaqondile. Ukuthatha ngokuthi amakheli ayenikezwe ngalaba bavoti kwakungaphelele, lokho kwenza kungacaci ukuthi bavota kusiphi isifunda nokwenza kubelukhuni ukugagula iwadi okufanele babhalise kulona. Kungani pho bafakwa emawadini okungesiwona kunokuthi bafakwe kulawo okuyiwona? Ngabe lokhu kwazenzakalela? Kuyethusa uma kunjalo.”
Akungabazisi ukuthi isinqumo saseTlokwe sathela le nhlangano ngehlazo nokungaba yinxeba labo abaphikisana nayo abangangena ngalo nxa bebona ukuthi imiphumela kayihambi njengoba befisa. Lapha uMehluleli kwala kancane athi i-IEC yabe inenhloso ekwenzeni lokhu esolwa ngakho nokuyinto eyakha isithombe esingesihle. Kanti nalesi sisondeza amehlo ngakuyo.